Machine for topping cans



-(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. A. BURT. MACHINE FOR TOPPING CANS. No. 514,702. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

- (NoMo'deL) No. 514,702. Patented Feb-13, 1894.

THE NATIONAL LIYHGGRAFNING COMFINYn WASHINGTON, [L C.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFF-ICE.

CHARLES A. BURT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,702, dated February 13, 1894.

Application filed February 11 1893. Serial No. 461.887. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BURT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe'and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Topping Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked consists in certain improvements in construction' and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same,

partly in section; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line w-a; of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, a sectional view of a detail.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts. I

In all this class of machinery for operating on cans before and after being filled with fruit, vegetables, or other substances to be preserved, it isdesirable that the parts be so arranged that a number of cans can be operated upon simultaneously, and this machine has this end in view, although the parts could well be used in other connections, and for operating on single cans if desired.

In the operation of canning it is oftentimes the case that when the cans are filled too full,

as they usually are by machinery, the mate rial with which'they are filled projects above the top and must be cleaned off before the caps or tops can be applied, and furthermore, this material collecting on the under sides of the ends of the cans is sufficient in quantity to chill the solder when applied to it and pre-- vent the cap from being securely fastened in position, but the present machinelias been found to remedy these difficulties and fit the cans for the capping machines in quantities and without the direct manual operationsby the operators.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the machine is composed of a suitable frame 1 to which is attached supporting legs 2, and within this frame is arranged a supplemental frame 3 (secured adjustably in position by screws 4) in which are loosely mount- -cd rollers 5 adapted to support the trays car'- rying the cans to be operated upon 6 indicating such a. tray,.on which are arranged,

preferably, one dozen cans 35 in two lines and allvof them abutting, as shown. An adjustable guide 7 connected to the main frame is arranged to engage one of the sides of the tray and properly position it as will be described, said guide being secured in adjusted position by means of bolts 8 passing through slots 9 and entering the frame of the machine. The rollers 5 constitute a vertically adjustable bed or support for the can trays, which may be raised or lowered, as shown,t0 provide for cans of various heights.

The operating parts of the machine are carried upon a plate or frame 10 secured to vertical standards or supports 11 passing through bearings in theside of the main frame 1 and said frame is supported upon springs 12 encircling the supports and arranged between the frame 10 and the stationaryframe 1, stops 50 being provided for preventing excessive movement. This frame may be depressed against the tension of said springs by means of a'link 13 and treadle or operating lever 14, or by other suitable means.

J ournaled in suitable hearings in the plate or frame 10 is a series of vertical shafts or spindles 15 corresponding in number to the cans to be operated upon (twelve being shown in the present instance) and upon the upper ends of these spindles are provided sprocket wheels 16 driven by means of a chain 17 from sprocket Wheel 18 connected with a beveled gear 19 and loosely sleeved upon the upper end of one of the rods 11. This wheel is driven from a beveled pinion 20 on a shaft 21 journaled in a bracket 22 on the frame 10 and provided at its opposite end with a belt pulley 23 driven from any suitable source of power, the chain being capable of being tightened by an adjustable sprocket 18'. The spindles 15 are prevented from vertical movement by nuts or collars 24. arranged below their bearings in the frame 10 and on their lower ends are arranged knobs or projections 25 adapted to enter the orifice in the mouth of the can to be operated upon and to displace a corresponding quantity of material, and pivoted in a slot in each of these knobs is a scraper 26 weighted so that it normallyprojects below the lower parts of said knob and having secured to it an arm 27 projecting at an angle thereto and adapted, when engaged by a projection relatively movable to the spindle, to turn the scraper 26 outward substantially horizontal, as indicated in full lines Fig. 4. The scraper is slightly recessed in its inner face to more readily project above the bead on the inner edge of the orifice and its end is pointed slightly, so that it will readily enter and when rotated disintegrate any hard fruit that might be at the orifice of the can.

Secured to the upper sides of the frame 1 are plates 28 extending slightly over the can support and having secured to their inturned edges plates 29 provided with circular apertures through which the knobs 25 pass and with which the arms 27 on the scrapers are adapted to engage, when the frame carrying the spindles is moved downward. These plates 28 serve to prevent the material removed, when the spindles are rotated, from flying too much.

30 indicates presser-feet secured to the lower side of the frame 10 for the purpose of holding the cans securely on the tray or support when the said frame is depressed, said pressers consisting, in the present instance, of a disk preferablyhaving a facing of rubber fabric on the lower side, arranged in such position that they will engage with the edges of four cans, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, and prevent accidental movement of the latter during the operation of the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The power being applied to the pulley 23, the spindles 15 are rotated rapidly, the springs 12 holding the frame 10 in upper-most position, then the operator places a tray containing, say, twelve cans, which have been filled with fruit or other material upon the rollers 5, said trays being properly positioned by means of the guides 7 and a suitable stop is arranged at either end of the machine for limiting the inward movement of the tray, bringing the orifices of the cans directly beneath the spindles 15; he then operates the treadle 14 bringing down the frame 10, and the knobs 25 entering the cans displace a quantity of the contents, at the same time the arms 27 of the scrapers engage the plates 29 turning said scrapers gradually outward to the position indicated in full lines Fig. 4, and removing the contents of the can from the under side of the tops of the latter. As the spindles rotate very rapidly, this operation will occupy only a few seconds and upon releasing the pressure on the treadle the frame 10 will be raised again, permitting the removal of the tray and the substitutionofanotherone. Whentheframe 10 is brought down, the pressers, as will be understood, engage and hold the cans being operated upon steady during the operation.

It is obvious that the construction of the scrapers could be readily changed without departing from the spirit of my invention, the essential feature being that they be of such form and construction as to readily enter the orifice in the can and then extend laterally so as to operate on the under surface, and other means than the plate 29 could be used for accomplishing this outward movement. It will, of course, be understood, that instead of moving the frame 10 carrying the spindles downward to engage the cans, said frame could be made stationary and the cans themselves moved upward, and this arrangement would be the obvious equivalent of the machine herein shown, and also that instead of employing a series of plungers connected for simultaneous operation, single ones could be employed, or a series of separate ones, operated se'riatim.

It is desirable, though not absolutely essential that the spindles be provided with knobs for displacing the contents of the cans when inserted, as scrapers substantially like mine could be inserted in the mouth of the cans and then turned to a substantially horizontal position to operate on the under side of the top.

I claim as my invention 1. In a machine for topping cans, the com bination of arotatable spindle and a displacing knob thereon, and a scraper having a pointed end pivoted on said knob and adapted to be turned at an angle thereto, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for topping cans, the combination of a rotatable spindle having a displacing knob thereon, and a scraper arm pivoted in said knob and adapted to be turned at an angle to the spindle, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for topping cans, the combination with a rotatable spindle, of a scraper pivoted thereon having a projecting arm, and means engaging said arm for turning the scraper at an angle to the spindle, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the rotatable spindle and the scraper pivoted thereon having the projecting arm, of the relatively movable ring cooperating with said arm and operating to turn the scraper at an angle to the spindle, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the rotatable and longitudinally movable spindle, and the pivoted scraper having the projecting arm, of the ring encircling the spindle and engaging the arm to turn the scraper at an angle to the spindle, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the frame having the can support thereon, of the relatively movable frame,'the rotatable spindle thereon having the laterally extensible scraper, and

a presser foot on the last mentioned frame for engaging and holding the can being operated upon, stationary, Substantially as described,

7. The combination with a cansupport,

adapted to receive two or more adjacent cans,

of a'relatively movable frame having devices thereon for operating upon the cans or their contents, and a single presser foot on said frame engaging two or more adjacent cans and holding them stationary while being operated upon, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a can -support adapted to receive two parallel rows of cans,

of a relatively movable frame having devices thereon for operating upon four of said cans or their contents, and a single presser foot on said frame arranged between the operating devices to engage the edges of the four cans being operated upon and hold them stationary, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the can support, ofthe vertically-movable fra'me,"a series of rotatable-spindles thereon, each having scrap- 'ers provided with projectingarms, the rings .with which said arms cooperate when the frame is depressed causing the scrapers to project at an angle to the spindles, and means for causing the movement of'the frame relative to the cansupports', substantially as described, v

10. The combination with the stationary frame, the can support thereon, the side plates,

and the rings secured thereto, of the vvertically movable frame, a series of rotatable spindles thereon having the scrapers provided with projecting arms,-and means for moving said movable frame toward the can support, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the stationary frame, and the can support, thereon, the movable frame, the springs for raising it, and

means for depressing it, of the series of vertatable spindles, and means for rotating them, devices onv the spindles for operating upon the cans on the support the standards connected to said frame and movable in the main frame, the springs encircling the standards,

and the treadle connected to the standards for depressing the frame, against the springs,

substantially as described.

CHARLES A. BURT.

Witnesses: r

FRED F. CHURCH, G. A. Rom. 

